Defying Empire

Defying Empire: third National Indigenous Art Triennial from the National Gallery of Australia commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum that recognised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australians for the first time. It explores the ongoing resilience of Australia’s Indigenous people since first contact, through to the historical fight for recognition and ongoing activism in the present day.

Under Southern Skies

Image: Kulba Yadail (Old Lyrics) by Billy Missi tells the story of how Torres Strait Islanders learn to read the stars, moon and the sea. Australian National Maritime Collection.

From the observation of the transit of Venus, to the importance of the night sky in Torres Strait Islander navigation and voyaging – planets and stars unite the long history of all navigators around Australia. In 2020 the Navigators gallery will be redeveloped to include new acquisitions and collection objects from Indigenous Australian and Pacific navigation, as well as a selection of important new material associated with James Cook and other European navigators. A highlight will be the temporary display of the so-called ‘secret orders’ issued to Cook outlining the mission for HMB Endeavour after observing the transit of Venus in 1769. Stay tuned for more details closer to the exhibition's launch.

Paradise Lost: Daniel Solander’s Legacy

Image: John McLean, Solander and Banks Bag Fish and Fowl, 2019, woodblock. Courtesy of the artist and Solander Gallery.

This exhibition commemorates the legacy of the Endeavour botanist Daniel Solander and the first encounter between Sweden and the Pacific Region. It features fine art prints by ten leading contemporary New Zealand artists selected to bring a unique vision to this historical event and Solander’s legacy. It will also feature Australian Indigenous scientific knowledges as a framework to explore engravings of botanical specimens collected in Australia by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander from the national maritime collection.